Water heating system



Patented May 28, 17935 UNITED S'TATES Vz,00z,545

PATENT' OFFICE 4 Claims.

My invention relates to steam boilers and more specifically to improvements in method of and apparatus for adapting steam boilers to the work of heating water for domestic use, or the like.

It has long been common practice to install submerged water heating coils in steam boilers in such manner that the efiective heating surface of the coil is limited to that portion of its length which extends within the steam boiler.

Where the steam boiler is not of suflicient length or width to permit the installation of a coil of a required length the common practice is to insert one or more additional coils in order to obtain a required amount of coil heating surface.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide .means by which the effective length of a. coil submerged in the water of a steam boiler may be very substantially increased and whereby the expense and trouble of installing one or more additional coils may be avoided. Further objects and advantages of my invention will b'e apparent from the following. description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification and of which:

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, reference character III designates a steam boiler in which the water level is maintained at line II. The steam is withdrawn through main |2. Fire tubes I3 extend through the water space and the hot fiue gases passing therethrough heat the water. Fire tubes I3 communicate with a :fire box Id in which is a grate I 5. Welded into 'an incision formed in steam boiler IO is the hollow sleeve IS, an integral part of which is the flange I'I to which is bolt- 40 ed the coil head IB by means of a flange I9 integral with coil head I 8, and bolts 20. A gasket 2| is interposed between fianges |1 and I9. Coil head IB is formed with an inlet chamber 22 and an outlet chamber 23. A plurality of U-shaped wa- 45 ter heating coils 24 have their ends connected to chambers 22 and 23, respectively. The upper porticn of coils 24 are positioned just'below the water level II in order that they .will be contacted by the hottest water in the boiler III. 50 Sleeve IG is so dimensioned as to leave a suflicient'space for unimpeded circulation of boiler water between it and coils 24 extending therethrough. Connecting the inlet chamber 22 in coil head I8 with the source of water to be heated is the pipe 25. Connecting the outlet chamber 23 in coil head IB with a suitable hot water storage tank or directly with the hot water consumers is the pipe 26.

The operation of the above described system is as follows: 5

Water to be heated is admitted through pipe- 25 to inlet chamber 22 in coil head I8 from where it passes through heating coils 24 to outlet chamber 23 and thence through pipe 26 to storage or use. The water withinboiler IO is 10 heated by contact with fire tubes I3 and this heated water rises to the surface, where it contacts coils 24. Consequently, the portions of the coils which extend into the boiler proper are contacted by the hottest water in the boiler. As 15 to the portions of the coils within the sleeve IS, a good heat transfer is obtained by virtue of the fact 4that a rapid circulation of hot water thereover is maintained. Inasmuch as the coldest water enters the lower passes of the coils, this cools 2( the water within sleeve IG and causes it to drop down in the path indicated generally by arrow 21. Hot water fiows into sleeve I 6 along the path indicated generally by arrow 28 and replaces the lcooled water. Thus a constant circulation of hot 25 water into sleeve |6 is maintained and most efficient use is made of the heating surface of coils 24 within the sleeve. As previously pointed out, sleeve IB is made large enough to permit this circulation. Also, the sleeve is preferably sub- 30 stantially rectangular in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 2, in order that the space under the different tubes will be about equal. This gives more uniform flow, but if desired, a cylindrical sleeve may be employed.

Thus it is apparent that the heating coils 24 are of considerably greater length than the dimensions of boiler III would normally permit and furthermore, that the entire surface of the tubes is effective for heat transfer purposes.

While I have shown and described only one embodiment of my invention inasmuch as this is sufiicient for agclear understanding of it, the scope is not intended to be limited thereby, but is to be determined by the appended claims viewed in the light of the prior art.

What I claim is:-

1. In combination, a boiler having walls, including side walls, defining a water space, fire tubes extending through said space substantially parallel to said Vside walls, a hollow member secured Within an opening formed in one of said side walls, and water heating tubes of substantially greater length than the width of said boiler positioned within said hollow member and extending into said Water space substantially at right angles to said fire tubes.

2. In combination, a boiler having walls, including side walls, defining a water space, fire tubes extending through said space substantially parallel to said side walls, a hollow member secured within an opening formed in one of said side walls, and water heating tubes of substantially greater length than the width of said boiler positioned within said hollow member and extending into said water space substantially at right angles to said fire tubes, said hollow member being so dimensioned as to provide sufiicient space around said tubes for the circulation of water from said water space. I

3. In combination, a boiler having walls, including side wa11s,rdefining a water space, fire tubes extending through said space substantially parallel to said side walls, a substantially rectanguiar hollow member secured within on opening formed in one of said side walls, and water heating tubes of substantially greater length than the width of said boiler positioned within said hollow member andextending into said water aooasis space substantially at right angles to said fire tubes, said hollow member being so dimensioned as to provide sufiicient space around said tubes for the uniform circulation over the various tubes of water from said water space.

4. In combination, a boiler having walls, including side walls defining a Water space, fire tubes extending through said space substantially parallel to said side walls, a hollow member secured within an opening formed in one of said side walls, water heating tubes of substantially greater length than the width of said boiler positioned within said hollow member and extending into said Water space substantially at right angles to said fire tubes, said ho11ow member being so dimensioned as to provide sui'ficient space` around said tubes for the circulation of water from said Water space, and means for introducing the water to be heated first into a portion of said tubes within said hollow member, whereby the water within said member is cooled and ci'rculation produced.

VIRGIL MORAY. 

